Aircraft device



Oct. 25, 1932. H. F. PITCAIRN I AIRCRAFT nzvxca I Original Filed Dec.12, 1925' V INVENTOR M 0 *MW ATTORNEY! Patented Oct. 25, 1932 UNITEDs'ra'rrs PATENT OFFICE mnonn '1'. 21mm, or 3mm .A'IHYN, PENNSYLVANIA,ASSIGNOR r AUTOGIRO 001mm 01- AIEBIOA, or rmannnrnra, PENNSYLVANIA, aCORPORATION or .nnnawm Amen-Arr DEVICE Original application fledDecember 12, 1925, Serial No. 74,941. Divided and this application filedJune 24,

V 1929. Serial No. 373,379.

This invention has reference to an improvement in aircraft devices,particularly such as have revolving wings or vanes driven by motivepower or by other means such as the reaction 'of the air upon the wings,the longitudinal propelling force being otherwise supplied. The presentapplication is a division of my co-pending application,

Serial No. 74,941, filed December 12, 1925, for aircraft devices, issuedJune 25, 1929, as Patent No. 1,718,57

One of the primary objects of this invention is the provision of adevice of the character specified in which I have arranged the wing sothat it will be flexible and will at the same time be capable of supportin position for operation by means of centrifugal force of the rotationin conjunction with the action of the air against it or a power drivingmechanism, which mechanism is preferably connected at or near the centerof rotation.

A further'object of the invention is the provision of an aircraft inwhich the several parts of which the wing is composed will be maintainedin relative and operative position by centrifugal force.

A further object of my invention is the provision of means for takingcare of the wing arts when centrifu al force is not operative as is thecase w en the rotative motion comes to an end.

More specifically I aim to provide a rotative wing structure orsustaining unit, including a plurality of blades capable of maintainingtheir proper operative shape when rotating, although built of severalflexibly related parts, with the several 'wing parts arranged totelescope one within another, or otherwise fold or collapse when not inuse, to facilitate moving, handling and storing of the aircraft andminimize danger of injury or damage to the wings.

Still another object of the invention is to aidor effect the folding ortelescoping of the wing structure by means of its own rotation, as bytheemployment of a drum,

wing-retracting cables which may be wound thereon, and brake shoes forcontrolling the same.

wing parts arranged to telescope one within the other; and

Fig. 3 is a plan View showing the telescopic parts drawn into retractedposition.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1 it will be seen that I havetherein indicated at 1 the fuselage of an airplane device provided withwheels 2 and a vertical rudder 3 and horizontal elevator 41.

Extending upwardly from the fuselage 1, I provide an arrangement ofdriving shafts, one of which, 5, pI'OJQCtS upward thru another one 6,which latter is tubular in form. At- 7 tached to the shaft 5 is a hub 7for drivinga pair of wings 9 while attached to the shaft 6 is a hub 8arranged to drive another pair of wings 10 in an opposite direction.

' The wings may be pivotally carriedby the hubs as indicated at 11 or ifpreferred may be rigidly secured to the hubs as I provide them with acertain degree of flexibility giving them a movement or fiexurelongitudinally, the parts being held in operative position duringrotation by means of the centrifugal force which is augmented by theweight 14 placed at the tip of the wing and secured by the retainingcord 15 which in the illustrative structure shown in Fig. 1 passes thruthe ribs 16, there being a somewhat flexible additional support providedin the arrangement by the use of rods 17 which may a be of bamboo orflexible steel tubing, the purshown in Fig. 1, I may mount on the hub acollapsible or telescopic wing structure, which may similarly beflexible, to compen- 35 more than two blades or wlngs.

I these In the latter figures I have shown a flexible wing composed of aplurality of telescopically disposed parts 18, 18a, 18b, 180, etc.,

being held by the cords 19 in operative position as shown in Fig. 2 whenthe weights 14. are pulling outward by the action of centrifugal force.The arrangement shown in these figures is provided with retraction cords20, constructed to be wound around a drum 21 when the latter is causedto stop rotating by setting out the shoes 22 which exert frictionalresistance such as will utilize the momentum of the revolving motion ofthe wing parts in wrapping the cords around the drum, as the result ofwhich, the wings, when the machine comes to rest, are drawn into theposition showntin Figure 3. The part 23 is stationary, the other partsrevolving around it, and the drum 21, when its rotation is stopped, actsto wind up the cords 20 only when the shoes 22 are thrown into action.

It will be observed that the forces exerted by the air will cause theparts to flex with relation to each other, the weight actingthrucentrifugal action to hold the assembled units in operativeposition.

While I have shown a device in which two oppositely rotating superposedpairs of wings are employed, it should be understood that the device isequally applicable to aircraft employing but one or a number ofsustaming units, and to a unit which may have I claim 1. In an aircraft,a rotatively mounted hub member, a wing mounted thereon and formed ofcollapsible aerofoil sections flexibly joined together and adapted to beheld in operative form by the centrifugal force of rotative movement.

2. A rotatively mounted collapsible wing for aircraft, which is held inoperative form 'by the centrifugal force of its rotative movement,together with means for collapsing the same when the wing is at rest.

3. A rotatively mounted collapsible wing for aircraft, which is held inoperative position by the centrifugal force of its rotative movement,together with means utilizing its movement to collapse the wing.

4. A rotatively mounted collapsible wing for aircraft, which is held inoperative position by the centrifugal force of its rotative movement,together with means utilizing its movement to collapse the wing,including wing-retracting cables and a drum on which said cables may bewound.

5. A rotatively mounted collapsible wing for aircraft, which is held inoperative position by thecentrifugal force of its rotative movement,together with means utilizing its movement to collapse the wing,including wing-retracting cables and a drum on which I der the influenceof the air acting upon it.

8. In an aircraft device, a rotatably mounted wing telescopicallyjointed for flexure under the influence of the air acting upon it, andmeans for telescoping the same as it comes to rest.

9. A rotatively mounted wing for aircraft, formed of a plurality ofair-surface sections retractible to inoperative position and normallyheld extended by the centrifugal force of its movement.

105 A rotatively-mounted retractible wing for aircraft normally heldextended by the centrifugal force of its movement, together with meansutilizing such movement to retract the same.

11. A telescopic wing structure having a weight tending to keep it inoperative position, and means for telescoping the wing to inoperativeposition. I

12. In an aircraft device, a rotatable axis member and a wing mountedthereon and formed of air-surface sections flexiblyjointed togetherwhereby deformation or flexure of the wing may be effected under theinfluence of the reaction of the air upon it.

13. In an aircraft, a rotatable axis member, and a plurality of rotativewing structures mounted on said member to rotate together, each wingstructure comprising, independently of the others, a plurality ofair-surface elements mounted to be movable with respect to said axismember, said elements of each wing being shaped to form, in co-operationwith each other, a unified streamline or aerofoil-shaped wing structurewhen relatively positioned for normal operation.

14. In an aircraft, a r0 atable axis member, and a plurality ofrotatZ've wing structures mounted on said member to rotate together,each wing structure comprising, independently of the others, a pluralityof air-surface elements mounted to be movable with respect .to eachother, said elements of each wing said axis member, said elements ofeach win being shaped to form, in co-operation with each other, a;unified streamline or aerofoilshaped wing structure when relativelypositioned for normal operation, together with power means for rotatingthe wings.

16. In an aircraft, a rotatable axis member, and a plurality ofrotativewing structures mounted on said member to rotate together, each wingstructure comprising, independently of the others, a plurality ofair-surface elements mounted to be movable with respect to each other,said elements of each wing being shaped to form, in co-operation witheach other, a unified streamline or aerofoilshaped wing structure whenrelatively positioned for normal operation, together with power meansfor rotating the wings.

17 In an aircraft, an upright axis member, and a rotative sustainingwing mounted thereon and formed of a series of individual box-likeaerofoil sections jointed together in such manner as to secure them tothe rotative axis as against the action of centrifugal force, saidsectional wing being arranged to be maintained in operative position bythe action of centrifugal force, as against the lifting reaction of theair.

18. In an aircraft, an upright axis member, and a rotative sustainlngwing mounted thereon and formed of a series of individual box-likeaerofoil sections with tension means extending lengthwise inside theseries of sections.

19. In an aircraft, an upright axis member, and a rotative sustainingwing mounted thereon and formed of a series of individual telescopablebox-like aerofoil sections having flanges extending generally transversethe plane of the wing at the points of juncture of the sections.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

HAROLD F. PITCAIRN.

